letting go of what you cannot control
🌿 Letting Go of What You Can’t Control
By Tina, The Devon Coach
Letting go is one of those phrases that sounds simple, yet in reality it can feel incredibly hard, especially for people who carry a lot for others, and when you’re used to being the steady one, the organiser, the helper, the person who quietly holds everything together, the idea of loosening your grip can feel unfamiliar, even a little frightening. I see that letting go isn’t about giving up, it’s about creating space for peace, clarity, and breath.
🌱 Why Letting Go Feels So Difficult
We’re wired to want certainty, to want things to make sense, to want outcomes we can predict and manage, and when life doesn’t offer that, the mind often tries to fill the gaps with worry, overthinking, or the belief that if you just try a little harder, you can make everything turn out the way you hope. In caring professions, this can be amplified — you’re trained to fix, to respond, to act, and letting go can feel like stepping into a space where you’re not quite sure who you are without the responsibility.
🌿 What Letting Go Actually Looks Like
Letting go doesn’t mean you stop caring, it doesn’t mean you detach or walk away, it simply means releasing the parts of a situation that were never yours to carry in the first place, and allowing yourself to soften around the edges of what you can’t change.
It might look like:
taking a breath and reminding yourself that someone else’s reaction isn’t your responsibility
accepting that you can’t control the pace of someone else’s healing or learning
choosing not to replay a conversation you can’t go back and edit
stepping back from a situation that drains you
allowing yourself to rest even when things feel unresolved
trusting that not everything needs your constant monitoring
Letting go is a practice, not a one‑time decision.
🌊 Letting Go in Healthcare
In healthcare settings, there are so many things outside your control — outcomes, decisions, staffing, systems, the emotional weight of the work — and it’s easy to carry more than your share without even realising it. Some of the most grounded, compassionate professionals I know have learned the art of letting go gently, moment by moment, allowing themselves to focus on what they can influence while releasing the rest, and this doesn’t make them less committed, it makes them more resourceful.
🌾 A Personal Note
I’m reminded that letting go is part of nature’s rhythm — the tide pulls back, the clouds shift, the wind changes direction, and nothing holds on tightly for long. Boo, with her tiny paws and her enormous sense of self, lets go with ease, she shakes off what she doesn’t need, she moves on without overthinking, and there’s something beautifully simple in that.
💛 A Gentle Invitation
If letting go feels difficult or unfamiliar, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to navigate it without support. If you ever feel curious about exploring how to release what isn’t yours to carry, you’re always welcome to wander over to my website or reach out, no pressure at all, just an open door. To do more work together
🌟 For This Week
Choose one thing you can gently loosen your grip on, let it soften, let it breathe, let it remind you that you don’t have to hold everything so tightly.
#lettinggo #control #selfcare #wellbeing #coach #nurse